Rotary cathead



March 2, 1948. I J, SHRE|BER 2,437,129

ROTARY CATHEAD Filed Jan. 22, 1945 INVENTOR'. JOHN H. SCHREIBE R,

j, I W ,5 W

ATrbRNEY.

Patented Mar. 2, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,437,129 ROTARY CATHEAD John H. Schreiber, St. Louis, Mo.

Application January 22, 1945, Serial No. 573,953

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a, rotary cathead; and it has special reference to a rotary cathead used in and forming part of well drilling equipment, and means for confining a body of water flowing into and through the cathead for rapidly dissipating the heat generated during its operation, and to other improved features of a unitary cathead as herein disclosed.

The improved water-cooled unitary cathead of the present invention is to be used in the well drillingindustry; and said invention comprises a spool attached to one end of the rotary drawworks shaft of the usual drilling rig for rotation by said shaft.- When the coils of rope wound on said spool are placed under tension by said rotative operation, and are controlled by loosening or tightening of said coils in order to vary the force frictionally transmitted from said spool to said rope, the cathead frequently becomes too hot.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a rotary cathead which may be manufactured and assembled at comparatively low and permis-' sible cost because of its simplified construction; to provide a cathead which is durable in use and is efficient and economical in operation; to provide new and improved elements and parts in said cathead for confining a flowing body of water for cooling and for quickly and automatically dissipating the heat generated during rotative operation of said cathead; and to provide an improved unitary cathead which may be assembled apart from the shaft on which it is mounted and which is constructed so that it may readily be mounted on shafts of difierent sizes by selective use of adapterelements forming parts of the cathead and on, to and from which said adapter elements the remaining parts of the cathead may readily be placed, attached and removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unitary cathead, comprising a rotary cathead spool element, in combination with an adapter element, whereby said spool element may be attached to drawworks shafts of different dimensions, means for detachably securing said spool element to said adapter element either before or after said adapter element has been attached to the drawworlss shaft for which it is intended and by which it is to be rotated, leaving said spool element removable while said adapter element remains attached to said shaft.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved rotary cathead unit having means for confining a fiowingcooling body, of water in and through said cathead, and meansfor preventing contact of said water with many or all of the bearing surfaces without the use of the usual sealing elements and stuffing boxes; and to provide parts inconnection with the rotary cathead spool for cooperating with a stationary housing preventing said flowing cooling body of water from passing to the outside or leaking from the inside of the cathead unit. v

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cathead for use in Well drilling equip;- ment, comprising a rotary spool, in combination with a stationary housing cooperating with parts of said spool to form an enclosure or passage for a flowing body of water to cool the cathead, and means in connection with said housing for attaching thereto usual flexible rubber hoses forming conduits for water entering and leaving the cathead in order to cool the same, thus preventing strains and stresses from being imparted to the housing and to the cathead by and through said conduits. The use of rigid pipe conduits imparts said strains and stresses, and prevents the attainment of this objective.

Other objects and advantages of my improved unitary water cooled cathead will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a cathead constructed in accordance with my present invention.

Fig. 2 is an endelevation showing the devices for attaching the spool element to the adapter element of the unitary cathead, and for attaching I the adapter element to the rotary drawworks shaft.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view diametrically through the cathead.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The unitary cathead in which the present invention is embodied is adapted and intended to be mounted at and on one end of the usual rotary drawworks shaft I, As is well known, the said drawworks shaft i is a part of the usual well drilling mechanism or rig, and said shaft is positively rotated when the drilling mechanism or rig is in operation.

My invention comprises tubular adapter sleeve elements 2 having different inside diameters, so that said sleeve elements may be mounted on drawworks shaft l of different outside diameters. The outside diameters of all of any series of said sleeve elements are the same, so that the remaining parts of my improved unitary cathead may be attached thereto regardless of the inside diameters of said sleeve elements, and regardless of the sizes of the shafts on which with said part 5, is attached to the end of the haft l by a removable and replaceable cap screw 1 extending through an unscrewthreaded "hole in said retainer and engaging in a screwthreaded hole formed coaxially in the end of said shaft.

When the cap screw 7 is tightened, th arm 5 which extend from the annular part 5, engage against the outer end of and hold said adapter sleeve in a rigid position on the end of the drawworks shaft. The cap screw 1 may be detached 1J0 Permit removal of the retainer 5-6, and subsequent removal of the adapter sleeve element .2 and the other parts of the cathead mounted thereon a one unit. Or, said other parts of the cathead ma be removed from the adapter sleeve element 2 as a unit without said adapter sleeve element, while said element, the retainer 5-5,

nd the cap screw l remain on and attached to the drawworks shaft I.

The rotary spool body of .my improved cathead comprises an outer cylindrical Wall 8, an inner cylindrical wall 9 concentric with and separated from said wall 8 by an annular space it,

an outer end Wall H integrally connecting the router ends of said walls 8 and 9 and closing the outer end of said annular space Ill, and an annular series of circumferentially spaced webs l2 integrally connecting the inner ends of said walls .8 and 9 across the space Id, a flaring portion l3 integral with the inner end of the spool wall .8, and an inwardly extended radial wall M integral with the inner end of the cylindrical wall 9, Said flange l4 abuts and seatsagainst the outer end of the sleeve element 2. A number of stud screw extend through unscrewthreaded holes in the flange l4 and are screwed into screwthreaded holes in the outer end of the sleeve element .2. Removable and replaceable nuts it are screwed on the outer. ends .of the stud screws 15 and hold the spool element rigidly on and in connection with said sleeve element. The arms 6 extend into notches i! in the flange M, in order to permit removal and replacement of the rotary spool element while the sleeve element 2, the retainer 5 therefor, and the cap screw i remain in rigidposition on the shaft 5,

A stationary housing constitutes a part of my improved unitary cathead and cooperates with the rotary spool element to provide walls for confining a flowing body of water for cooling and for quickly absorbing and automatically dissipa ing and removing the heat generated during 1 tative operation of the cathead spool. In the form shown, said stationary housing comprises a cylindrical hub it, a radial inner end wall 59, and a confining wall 29 extending laterally from integral connection with the marginal edge of the Wall l9 toward the flaring wall portion l3 of the rotary spool. As shown, the marginal edge of the flaring wall portion l3 of the rotary spool is surrounded and enclosed by the wall 28. The housing is secured against rotation and displacement by attachment of a lug 2| to a stationary support, leaving the remainder of the cathead freely rotative by the shaft I. Bushings 22 on the adapter element 2 having radial end flanges 23 extending outwardly against the ends of the hub I8 to hold said bushings longitudinally spaced and provide an annular space 24 between adjacent ends of said bushings around the sleeve element 2 and within the hub IS. The lower portion of the wall 20 bulges downwardly eccentrically beyond the annular margin of the flaring portion I3 of the rotar spool to form a sump 25 from which a flange 26 extends upwardly toward said flaring portion l3, and has its marginal edge concentrically adjacent thereto, An annular skirt wall 21 extends from integral connection with the spool parts 9-44 concentrically around and preferably out of contact with and separated from the hub l8 by a radially narrow annular space. A flaring skirt 28 extends from integral connection with the inside of the flaring spool wall portion 13 toward the housing wall l9, and is spaced circumferentially a substantial distance from the skirt wall .21, leaving the cooling body of water free 'to flow into and from the annular space H] in the rotary spool to absorb, dissipate and remove the heat generated during rotation of said spool.

A conduit 29 is formed in and through the stationary housing walls 19 and '20 for connection with a rubber hose or other flexible conduit to to conduct flowing water into and through the space iii. Evidently this conduit may be formed in many ways. .A detachable nozzle tip 39 opens from the conduit 29 and projects toward the annular space I70 f or discharging the cooling body of flowing water into said space. An outlet 3! from the lower portion of the housing is provided for connection with a rubber hose 32 or other flexible conduit for conducting said cooling water from the spool. The outlet 3| is of larger cross-sectional area and capacity than the inlet conduit 29, so that the cooling water is free to flow from the cathead without any impediment, and faster than it enters through the conduit 29. In the preferred form shown, the cooling water is admitted into the cathead from the top and is discharged or conducted therefrom through the bottom, and thus utilizes the force of gravity to cause flow of water through the rotary spool.

Wall elements 33 form a conduit 34 through the housing wall 19 .and hub 18 to the annular space 24. A fitting 35 of the leakproof type is attached to the wall l9 in communication with the conduit 34 and constitutes means .for admitting lubricating grease or oil under pressure into said conduit 34 which conducts said grease or oil into the annular space 24 From the annular space 24 the lubricant, whether in the form of grease or oil, passes to all relatively movable bearing parts of the cathead and effectively prevents passage or leakage of water into the bearings formed by said parts. The lubricant may enter the closed endof the radially narrow space provided by the skirt 27 around the hub 18. Any surplus lubricant passing beyond said radially narrow space provided by the skirt 2'! will be washed out by the water passing through the outlet 3| and conduit 32.

From the foregoing, it is evident that my invention attains all of its intended objectives and purposes eificiently and satisfactorily without transmission of any strains or stresses to any of the cathead elements proper, or to the housing cooperating therewith, to provide .a circulating passage for the flowing water. The flowing water quickly absorbs, dissipates and removes the heat generated during operation of the cathead. Specific variations may be made in the construction and arrangement of the device and of the parts forming the same without departure from the nature and principle of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device of the class described, an adapter sleeve for a rotary shaft provided with an outer radial flange, a retainer member comprising an annular plate having a series of radial arms releasably attached to the end of said rotary shaft and said arms positioned to abut against the inner ends of said adapter sleeve, a stationary hub in which said adapter sleeve is mounted, a bearing member between said hub and said adapter sleeve and held against displacement by said outer radial flange 0n the adapter sleeve, a

spool provided with an inner tubular extension fitted over said hub and having an internal flange abutting against the inner end of the adapter sleeve, and releasable means for connecting said spool with said adapter extending through said internal flange and into the adapter sleeve.

JOHN H. SCI-IREIBER.

- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

